Optometer.



PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

No. 814:,512Sc Wx B. BROWN.

OPTOMETER. APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 25, 1905.

4 SHEBTS-SHEETI.

PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

W. B. BROWN. OPTOMETBR. APPLIUATION FILED M315. 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 814,512 PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

,W. B. BROWN.

OPTOMETER. APPLIOATION FILED 111111.25, 1905.

`4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Anmrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OPTONIETEFI'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Maren 6, 1906.

.Application mea March 25, 1905. serial No. 252,049.

To all whom it WW1/y concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. BROWN, a citizen of the United lStates,residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented newand useful Improvements in Optometers, of which the following is aspecificaltion.

My invention relates to improvements in optometers, and has for itsobject to provide an instrument of this kind embodying a novelarrangement and combination of parts whereby various optical tests maybe carried out with accuracy and facility; and said invention has forits object, furthermore, to improve such instruments in details ofconstruction, To the ends stated the invention consists of an optometerembodying the features hereinafter set forth and claimed, referencebeing made to' the accompanying drawings, wherem- Figure 1 is a view,partly in elevation and partly in central vertical section. Fig. 2 is afront view. Fig. 3 is a rear view, Fig. 4 is a face view of one of thelens-disks. Fi 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 o Fig. 2.Fig. 6 is a plan view of the graduated lensdisk-carrying andtest-card-carrying arm. Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of the test-cardholder. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view illustratingthe plural-partlens-disk supporting and adjusting element.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 designates a telescopicstandard upon which the optometer is pivotally suspended, as and for thepurpose hereinafter described. The said telescopic standard is composedof two members, that 2 being hollow and provided with means, such asscrew-holes, whereby it may be rigidly affixed to a table-top or othersupport. Within the hollow member 2 the member 3 of the standard isfitted, and it may be adjusted to diHerent positions therein to positionthe lens-disks and eye-openings to different heights, so that they maybe brought into coincidence with the eyes of the patient. The member 3of the standard is held in any position of adjustment .by a suitableclamp- 'ing means, that illustrated consisting of a thumb -screw 4,working against a spring clamping-tongue 5, formed by slitting the upperend of the fixed member of the standard.

v Pivotally mounted at the upper end of the member 3 of the standard isthe graduated lens-disk and test-card carrying arm 6, the pivotalconnection exerting such frictional resistance to movement that combinedwith the weight and proportion of parts said arm and the lens-disk andother appurtenances carried thereby will be balanced to the end that theoptometer as an entirety will sustain any position of adjustment on thepivot that may be imparted thereto by the operator,I

and in this way different inclinations of the lens-disk and test-cardwith respect lto the eyes of the user may be quickly and easily obtainedand maintained duri`g the testing of the eyes of the patient Thecapability of the instrument being adjusted to different inclinations,as set forth, is valuable in that by reason thereof in the test thepatient may view the test-card at that angle of inclination which ishabitual in reading, and therefore tests in all respects most suitedtoindividual cases may be had. Ordinarily in reading the matter beingread is held below the level of the eyes and is viewed in that Aangularrelation, but the degree of this angularity is different with diferentpersons, and by so mounting my improved optometer that the test-card andlenses may be brought to different an ular relation tothe eyes thepeculiarities o patients in this respect are provided for.

The arm 6 at one end and near the point of pivotal connection with thestandard is'provided with a seat 7, in which is fitted and secured, asby means of screws, a plural-part lens-disk supporting and adjustingelement 8. The two parts 9 l0 of this element sustain a sliding relationto each other, one part fitting and moving within the other, as shown.The parts 9 and 10 are adjusted with relation to each other in theillustrated example of device shown by means of a screw 10a, the stem ofwhich passes loosely through the end of the part 9 and the threaded endof which is in engagement with a screw-threaded socket 10b in the part10, wherebyupon rotation of the milled end 10C of said screw the parts 9and 10 maybe adjusted relatively to each other to bring the lens-diskssupported thereby nearer to or farther from each other. Any position ofadjustment of said parts 9 and 10 with relation to each other effectedby said screw is maintained by a spiral spring 10d, arranged within thepart 9, surrounding the IOO . will.

screw and bearing against the end of the part 10. Independentbracket-arms 11 are rigidly connected to or formed with the parts 9 and10, ,and in the manner to be hereinafter described said brackets carrythe lens-disks 12 and appurtenances thereof.

The numeral 13 designates a screw by means of which the parts 9 and 10are adjusted with relation to each other to adjust the distance betweenthe eye-openings 14 and lenses to accord with the pupilary distancebetween the eyes of the patient.

One part of the adjusting mechanism, as 9, is provided with an elongatedslot 15, in which may move a stop 16, secured to the other member, as10, and by which the extremes of adjustment of said parts are limited.The slottedpart 9 is provided along one edge of the slot with a scale17, having indicia designating inches and fractions of inches. Theindicia of the scale may be altered at That shown includes marks todesignate two inches and three inches and the fractions therebetween, asit is ordinarily found that the pupilary distance between the eyes ofpatients is not greater than three inches nor less than two inches. Thestop 16 is provided with an index-pointer 18, which may consist of aline and which is so adjusted with relation to the scale 17 and thescale is so disposed with reference to the eye-openings 14 that when thepointer comes opposite any indication on the scale 17 that designationwill be the measure of the distance between the eye-openings 14 andconsequently the measurement of the pupilary distance between the eyesof the patient.

Rigidly connected with the bracket-arms 11 are plates 19, to which aresecured journal-studs 20, on which are mounted lensdisks A and Band'plates 21. Washers 22 are interposed between the said plates 19,disks A and B, and plates 21, as shown. The plates 19 and 21 areprovided with eye-openings 14, and the plates 21 are provided withdowel-openings 23, into which dowels 24 on the journal-studs 20 fit inorder to insure that the eye-openings 14 in said plates shall be inaccurate register with the eye-openings 14 in the plates 19 and alsowith the various lenses in the lens-disks. The disks A and B areprovided with series of openings 25, in which are arranged series oflenses 26, and each disk is provided with an additional unoccupiedopening 25. The lenses 26 incorporated with the disks A, are concave orminus lenses of varying degree of'power.` Those incorporated in thedisks B are convex or plus lenses of varying degree of power. In eachdisk A in additioncto the series of concave lenses there is embodied atthe end of the series a convex or plus lens and in the disks B at theend of the series of convex lenses the value and importance of whichadditional convex lens in the concave lens-disk and concave lens in theconvex lens-disk Will be hereinafter referred to.

Appropriated to each convex lens in the series is the dioptric valuethereof indicated in numbers and fractions of numbers arranged in scales27, arranged on the disks B, and similarly appropriated to the dioptricvalue .of the concave or minus lenses are numerals arranged in thescales 27 on the disks A. rIhe dioptric value-numerals on one disk areshown in characters having a color distinguished from the color of thenumbers on the other disk, so that the operator being informed of thecolor of numbers appropriated to one of the disks may not be confused bythe similarity of numerals.

In order that the dioptric value-numerals of the convex lens-disks B maybe visible, concentric series of openings 28 coincident with the line ofsuch numerals are formed in the concave lens-disks A, whereby theposition of a convex lens of any given strength relatively to theeye-openings 14 may be observed by the operator at any time, whereby thepositioning of any desired lens in coincidence with the sight openingsis accomplished with much more facility than if the openings were notprovided and the operator had to view the dioptric value of the lensesonly through the indicator-openings 29, hereinafter referred to. Theconvex lens x, added to the series of concave lenses in the concavelens-disk, will be designated in the series of value-numbers on theconcave lensdisk' by a character distinguished in matter of color orotherwise from theremainder of such series of numerals, and the concavelens y, added to the series of convex lenses in the convex lens-disk,will be similarly indicated by a numeral distinguished from the numeralson said disk appropriated to the convex lenses. In this way allpossibility of confusion by the operator is avoided.

The plates 19 are each provided with a pair of indicator-openings 29,with which the dioptric value-numerals arranged on the disks referred tocome into register for observation by the operator. The dioptricvaluenumerals arranged on the lens-disks are so arranged with relationto the lenses and the eye-openings 14 that when a given dioptric numeralappears in an indicator-opening 29 a lens of corresponding value will bein coincidence with the eye openings referred to. The several disks Aand B are provided with indentations 3() appropriated to the dioptricvalue-numerals arranged thereon, with which indentations spring-pins 31,carried by the plates 19 and 21 coperate, said pins entering suchindentations as the disks are revolved with a delicate pressure,sufficient, however,

there is embodied a concave or minus lens y, l to inform the operatorthat a'lens is in regis- IOO IIO

ter with the eye-'openings 14 and to retain such lens in such registeruntil the relation is wilfully disturbed. In a sequence of convex lensesof varying power in the convex lensdisks and a sequence of varying powerconcave lenses in the concave lens-disks various combinations can beeffected by positioning any one of the concave lenses in coincidencewith the eye-openings 14 and also positioning any one of the convexlenses in line therewith, or combinations of concave and convex lensesmay be so positioned.

l@ The capacity of combination of the instrument according to myinvention is greatly enlarged without increasing the number ofdimensions of the instrumentalities by incorporating in the series ofconcave lenses in the concave lens-disk a convex lens and byincorporatingl in the series of convex lenses in the convex lens-disk aconcave lens y, heretofore referred to. For instance, when testing withthe convex lenses the series in the convex lens-disk in the example ofmy invention illustrated goes to power 7:50. If this be not strongenough, the convex lens of value 8, contained in the concave lens-disk,is brought into register with the eye-openings, and if this be not ofsufficient strength or power the convex lens-disk may be rotated to addto the lens of power 8 a lens of power 1 or any fraction thereof or 2,3, 4, and so on and any fraction thereof up to 7 :50, giving the rangeof 15:50, and so with respect to a test with the concave or minuslenses. This is a valuable consideration, as without materiallyincreasing the number of lenses or the proportions of the apparatus andwithout increasing the complexityof the instrument at least doublecapacity is secured.

The plates 21 are provided with lens-holders 32, consisting, as shown,of semicircular cells provided in their inner walls with grooves 33 toreceive lenses, and said holders are detachably connected to the plates21 in any suitable manner-for example, that shown in the drawings,wherein they are connected by thumb-screws 32a, engaging saidlens-holders and plates. These holders may be removed when desired. Whenconnected to the plates, special lenses-as, for instance, what is knownas a single-test lens-may be introduced thereinto and the unoccupiedlens-openings 25 in the lens-disks brought 4into register with theeye-openings 14, so

that the patients eyes may be tested for any special purpose whilelooking only through such single-test lenses. The plates .19 areprovided with eye-openings 14 in alinement with the openings 14 in theplates 21, and associated with these openings are special lens-holders35, which lens-holders are rotatively mounted in the plates 19, andcombined therewith and with reference to which said holders rotate arerings 36, provided with graduations 37, corresponding with degrees of acircle, the particular purpose of which lens-holders is to receivelenses for testing the eyes of the patient with reference, for instance,to astigmatism or muscular unbalance, in which test the unoccupiedlensopenings inthe disks will be brought into register with theeye-openings 14 and the special astigmatism-lens inserted in the holders35, the patient thus viewing the test-card while looking through theastigmatic lens alone or in combination with any lens in disk A or B.The lens-holders 35, in which the astigmatism-lenses are inserted, maybe rotated with reference to the graduated scale 37 until the properangle has been reached, which angle will be indicated upon the scale bypointers 38. Other special lenses may be inserted in the holders fortesting as to any particular defect of eyesight. The lensholders 35 areconnected to bases 39, which are set into counterbored openings orrecesses 40 in the plates, in which they are confined by the graduatedrings 36 and are capable of rotation with sufficient frictional hold tomaintain any position which may be imparted thereto by the operator. Thegraduated confining-rings 36 are rmly connected to the plates 19 bymeans of screws or otherwise suitably connected thereto. This particulararrangement enables the lensholders 35 to be rotatively mounted in theplates and the rings 36 to be set in flush with the surfaces of theplates, no projection or obstructions being formed on the inner faces ofthe plates or those faces which are next the lens-disks, whereby theplates may be set up close to said lens-disks with just sufficient,clearance for the movement of the lens-disks as is desirable. The plates19 and 21 serve as guard-plates to protect the lenses from perspiration.

Very frequently, and especially in warm weather, the forehead of thepatient is in a state of perspiration, which would, exce t for theguard-plate 21, find its way to tie lenses, requiring constant wipingoff of the,

same and the loss of time attendant thereon, and the plate 19 preventsthe hands or fingers of the operator or patient coming into contact withand in any way blurring the lenses. 1

The pivoted arm 6, carrying the lens-disks and the other appurtenancesdescribed, is provided on its surface with a scale 41, graduated ininches at one edge, and is provided also with a dioptric scale 42 at itsopposite edge. Both of these scales are related to the lenses in thelens-disks, the inch-scale graduation being useful in the distance test.The indicia of the dioptricscale graduation are arranged atpredetermined positions on the arm 6, such positions having a definiterelation to the lens disks in respect to dis- IOO IIO

tance therefrom and to a test-card movably arranged upon said arm suchthat when the patient looks' at the test-card through the unoccupiedlens-openings in the lens-disks as said card is adjusted'to and fro uponthe arm the position of the test-card upon the arm at which the patientcan best see the test matter of the arm may be ascertained. Thatindication on the dioptric scale which is nearest the test-card when thelatter is in the best position for the eyesight of the patient willdesignate approximately the dioptric value of the strength of theaccommodation and also with or without the proper lens in disk A or Bthe dioptric value of the eye. The operator will then, having thebenefit of this approximate test, adjust the lens-disks until either alens or combination of lenses corresponding to the approximateindication on the dioptric scale of the arm 6 come into coincidence withthe eye-openings, and the test will then be proceeded with to arrivewith greater nicety at the dioptric condition of the patients eyes by anicer adjustment of the test-card as viewed through lenses or acombination of lenses varying in power from the approximate valueindicated by the dioptric scale 42. By the provision of this dioptricscale on the arm 6 the test may proceed with great facility andrapidity, as an approximate diagnosis may be obtained through the mediumof the testcard and the dioptric scale, avoiding the necessity of atedious process of guessing at the probable dioptric value of the lenseswith which to commence the process of arriving accurately at the precisedioptric value of the lenses suited to the patients eyes.

The reference-muneral 43 designates a testcard holder which consists ofa slide 43, having depending arms which slide against the opposite edgesof the arm 6, and springs 44, which hug the lower surface of the arm, tothe end that the test-holder may be moved along the arm to any desiredposition and there held by the friction of the springs. Rotativelymounted in the slide 43a is a yoke 45, having an angular portion 46,against the flat faces of which a spring 47 engages to hold said yoke inany desired position of adjustment. Swiveled in the arms of the yoke aretest-card clasps into which the test-card is inserted and by which it isheld. By swiveling the test-card clasps in the yoke a testcard havingtests of different character printed on each side of the card may beused with facility, as the clasps may be turned to present either sideof the test-card to the view of the patient. When testing by the use ofthe card, the yoke is adjusted to the position shown in the drawings,Fig. 1. When a test by the card is not desired, the yoke may be swungdown and the card moved from the line of view, as illustrated in dottedlines in said ligure of the drawings. When the yoke and test-card areswung down, the eye may then be tested for distant vision by using astandard test-card at twenty feet or any other distance. By thisarrangement any method of examining may be used.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In an optometer,the combination with a standard, of an arm pivotally mounted on saidstandard and provided with a dioptric scale, and having lens supportingand adjusting means connected thereto, lens-disks carried by said meansat one side of thepivotal connection of the arms with the standard, thelens-disks being simultaneously adjustable in opposite directions withrelation to each other through the medium of said means, a test-cardholder adjustable on said arm, and a test-card swiveled in said holder,substantially as described.

2. In an optometer, the combination with a standard, of an arm pivotallymounted on said standard and provided with a dioptric scale, and with aseat at one side of its pivotal connection with the standard, a two-parttelescopic lens supporting and adjusting device arranged in said seat,lens-disks held by said device and simultaneously and equally adjustablein inward and outward directions, and connections between said disks andthe elements of said supporting and adjusting device, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an optometer, the combination of a standard, a graduated lens-diskand test-card carrying arm pivotally mounted thereon, a reversibletest-card holder disposed on the said arm, the arm being graduated ininches at one edge and provided with a dioptric scale at its oppositeedge, and lens-disks cooperating wth said arm and arranged in pairs, oneof said disks carrying a series of convex lenses and also an auxiliaryconcave lens, and the other of said disks carrying a series of concavelenses and an auxiliary convex lens.

4. In an optometer, the combination of a standard, a graduated lens-diskand test-card carrying arm pivotally mounted thereon, a reversibletest-card holder disposed on the said arm, the said arm being graduatedin inches at one edge and provided with a dioptric scale at its oppositeedge, and lens-disks coperatingwith the said arm and arranged in pairsand respectively carrying series of concave and convex lenses.

5. In an optometer, the combinationwith a standard, of lens-diskssupported thereby and arranged in pairs, one disk of each pair having aseries of convex lenses and also an auxiliary concave lens, the otherdisk of each pair having a series of concave lenses and an auxiliaryconvex lens, plates arranged in front and rear of said disks andprovided With eye-openings, one disk of each pair pro- In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set vided With counterbored openings, lens myhand in presence of tWo subscribing Wit- Io holder bases set into androtatable in said nesses.

counterbored openings, lens-holders carried by said bases, and graduatedconfining-rings WILLIAM B' BROWN' arranged Hush With the plates andengaging Witnesses: and ooniining the lens-holder-earrying bases, GEO.l/V. REA,

substantially as described. WILLIAM T. JONES.

